The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-05-21


The subject which shall bring to your
attention, is the authority OF Jesus. Or,
more narrowly stated, the reverence and
obedience rendered to him, and the
grounds of that reverence and obedience
among liberal Christians. If we study
those denominations who style themselves
orthodox and evangelical-fondly imag-
ming that the assumption of such names
infuses into the organization the charac-
ter described, the reason of the rover
ence rendered the Redeemer appears
plain. The scheme of the atonement as
taught by their divines, in all its stupen-
dous details, is the most impressive OF all
the magnificent dramas that the genius
of man has ever mounted, and its tragic
outcome the most affecting of all possible
conclusions. That mankind should be-
hold God perishing upon the cross to
save the sinner from the vengeance OF
his own law, is an amazing spectacle.
The central ideas of the vicarious atone
ment, when apprehended by the spirit OF
a man as divine and ever living realities,
are exceedingly powerful to generate high
emotions and inspire deep and abiding
love. That Jesus, the Almighty Son,
should have left his high estate in heaven,
taken upon himself the human form, and
permitted the malice of ignorant enemies
to inhict upon him a cruel death, in order
that salvation from the pains of an eter
nal hell might be rendered possible for
uudeserving man, is, of all thoughts, most
pathetic and impressive. And the Won
der to me is, in view of these circum-
stances, is not that so much reverence
and love are rendered the name and
personality of Jesus in the prayers and
sermons of trinitarian Christianity, but
that there is not more. The greatness Of
the peril and the magnitude of the re-
demption should be subjects of unceasing
thought and gratitude.
But with us the case is different. We
are not believers in the Deity of Jesus
Christ, nor in the reality of any endless
hell. Our God is not being SO fercely
angry against the human race as to de-
mand an infinite atonement to render
possible their salvation.
To us Jesus Christ is not god, but a
man divinely perfect, an ideal man (any-
thing below Deity; where, it may be, our
best Judgment must determine, but still
man. Why, then, should we cherish
his name to-day and call this Christian
church? What is there in our movement
more than an enforcement of ethics or in
culcation of morals?
The question is broad and deep, and
the answer, to be satisfactory, must go to
the foundation, and show the true grounds
of that authority by which Jesus Christ
speaks to us to-day, and bids us follow
him in all the fields of life and duty as
the great Mas ter of life.
To me the divine humanity of Jesus is
a very precious term. He was a man like
us, in all points tempted as we, yet with
out sin. The divinity that was in him
belonged not to the body, but to the
spirit ;-called by the eternal Father, to
establish spiritual religion OF love, hu-
mainly, Justice and truth, that should
widen and deepen In harmony with the
progressive nature of man. He received
the fullness of divine nature without
limit He was begotten in the spirit, and
he became the first born of all the sons
of God, and the Saviour of the world,
because the grace of God was poured
upon him without measure.
To understand this thought it is nee
essary to consider the doctrine of inspira-
ton. That, as commonly held by ortho-
dox divines, is a special interposition of
the power of God to set aside the ordina-
ry processes of nature, and communicate
something new and unusual to his crea-
lures. 1t is a momentary lifting of the
clouds of darkness between the human
and the divine, only that the deepening
shadows may grow more intense.
Thus Moses was granted visitation of
the divine spirit and many others of the
Old Testament times were similarly IA
vored. So in the New Testament the
spirit communicated its message to the
apostles and to some of their immediate
attendants. But with the close of the
New Testament the old school in theolo-
gy affects to believe that the inspiration
of God to humanity ceases. Henceforth
the revelation is complete. God has no
higher truth to give to man and all that
man can ever need or want is contained
in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. They
are peculiar, special, miraculous. But
the new, and yet the oldest, faith affirms
first of all the unity of all truth, and Sec
ondly its divine origin. Principles of
morals and truths Of mathematics spring
from the same divinely perfect source
and come to man clothed with the same
eternal sanctions. They are true because
the high and holy One is the God of all
truth, rules in truth, and guides the
universe in the way of final and triumph
ant truth.
Bat not only is truth one and insepara.
bic, but it's revelation to the world is also
by one constant and abiding process.
God did not create the universe, wind up
its complicated machinery, set it running,
and then Withdraw to some remote corner
of space; but he is everywhere present,
the life and power of all. He hears our
prayers and answers them according to